I'm running Reading Half Marathon to raise money for First Days Children's Charity. First Days takes donated clothes, toys, equipment and school uniform for children from 0-7 years and redistributes them to children whose parents cannot afford basic necessities. Children are referred to them by professionals working with families (eg. social workers) and the charity currently helps around 1500 children each year. Over a third of the families they help have at least one parent in full time work but all struggle for a number of reasons, including rising living costs, ill health, family breakdown, or changes to the benefits system. Whilst most of the items that they provide are secondhand, there are things that need to be provided new, such as mattresses, nappies, etc. They also have to pay for stock storage and to run their referral service. With no statutory or local government funding, they rely on fundraisers to enable them to reach the children we support.